Brooklyn's guitar-less rock band Miracles of Modern Science released their debut LP Dog Year towards the end of last year and played a sold out record release show for it at Pianos in December. You can stream and purchase the album (name your price) at bandcamp.

Miracles of Modern Science have another NYC show coming up which will take place at Mercury Lounge on February 3 with Quintus, Ambassadors, and The Break Mission. Tickets are on sale.

In other news, Miracles of Modern Science made a video called "Bon Joviver," in case you ever wondered what it would sound like to combine Bon Jovi (who are playing Bamboozle) and Bon Iver (who are playing SNL) past the point of making a portmanteau of their names. Check it out below.

Video below...

Continue reading "Miracles of Modern Science formulate 'Bon Joviver' (video), released an LP, playing a show too"

When we first mentioned the lineup for this year's Bamboozle, which is taking place from May 18-20 in Asbury Park, NJ, it only included Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Skrillex, Blink 182, Incubus, and Mac Miller. The generally lame festival has since revealed more artists including a surprising number of not-lame artists like the reunited Promise Ring (their first East Coast date announced, hopefully an NYC show to come?), Hot Water Music, Bouncing Souls, A$AP Rocky, Action Bronson, and Murphy's Law. Take that, Warped Tour.

Tickets for Bamboozle are on sale now. Updated lineup below...

Continue reading "The Promise Ring playing Bamboozle (Hot Water Music, Bouncing Souls, ASAP Rocky & Action Bronson too)"

a Sasquatch 2011 patron (more by Josh Darr)

The new year is approaching, and while you're making last minute plans and thinking up your resolutions, you can also start thinking about what festivals to attend in 2012. Here are some updates on next year's US festivals (not in any particular order).

SXSW, which is taking place from March 9-18 in Austin, with the music portion form March 13-18, has already announced a bunch of bands. If you register before January 13, you'll be able to save a bit.

New Orleans Jazz Fest is taking place from April 27 - May 6. The lineup includes The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, Bon IverMy Morning Jacket, Feist, Janelle Monae, and others. The full lineup is below. Tickets are on sale now.

Sasquatch is taking place this year from May 25-28 in Gorge, Washington. 4-Day passes will be on presale through New Year's Eve, and general sale starts February 11. New for 2012, "Patrons who purchase a 4-day festival ticket will be allowed re-entry from the Festival grounds! This will not apply to any other ticket, only the 4-day pass."

Bonnaroo will be taking place from June 7-10 this year in Manchester, TN. Presale tickets have sold out but tickets will go on sale to the general public in the coming months. Also check out a Spotify playlist of the Bonnaroo staff's favorite songs of 2011.

Coachella, will take place over the course of two weekends this year (April 13-15 and 20-22). Other than a fake lineup poster that has been floating around, no artists have been officially announced yet.

Noise Pop will be celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2012 from February 21-26 in San Francisco. So far the lineup includes Archers of Loaf, Built to Spill, Big Freedia, Surfer Blood, Grimes, Bleached, John Vanderslice, Ume, and others. Check out the full list below.

Austin City Limits is taking place from October 12-14 in Zilker Park in Austin. Souvenir 3-day passes and early bird 3-day passes have sold out but regular 3-day passes are on sale now.

Lollapalooza will take place in 2012 from August 3-5 in Grant Park in Chicago. Tickets will go on sale this spring. As BVChicago mentioned, Lollapalooza is also taking place in Chile and Brazil this year.

Bamboozle, now in a new location, is taking place from May 18-20 in Asbury Park in New Jersey this year. So far the scary lineup includes Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Skrillex, Blink 182, Incubus, and Mac Miller. 3-Day wristbands are on sale now.

Bumbershoot is taking place from September 1-3 at Seattle Center in Seattle, WA. Tickets are available and Bumbershoot are currently having a holiday sale where single day tickets are half off (originally $150, now $75).

NYC's own Governors Ball, which took place at Governors Island in 2011, has been moved to the bigger Randall's Island and will take place over the course of two days, June 23 and 24. Like last year, there will be no overlapping sets. Compared to the others listed here, this is not quite a big "festival", but unlike anything else listed above, it does happen in NYC. Artist announcements and tickets are coming soon.

Current NoisePop and Jazz Fest lineups below...

Continue reading "2012 Music Festival Roundup (Jazz Fest, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Noise Pop, ACL, Coachella, Bamboozle, SXSW, Bumbershoot & more)"

Ray Davies has a new LP on the way entitled See My Friends due on November 1st. The release will see The Kinks frontman pairing with multiple bands to re-record, and sometimes re-imagine, Kinks songs. And these bands have names like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Spoon, Black Francis, Metallica, Mumford & Sons... and the legendary Alex Chilton (RIP).

"This project came about almost by accident," says Davies of the project, which was kick-started when he recorded a version of 'Till The End Of The Day' in the summer of 2009, with Alex Chilton.

The full list of collaborators is below.

Davies is getting back on the road as well, though so far he just has scattered dates in Europe, and a newly-announced show in the United States. He'll be performing his 2009 LP The Kinks Choral Collection with the Dessoff Chamber Choir at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ on November 26th. Tickets go on sale at noon today (10/8). NYC got that show in 2009.

All dates, the See My Friends tracklisting, and some video are below...

Continue reading "Ray Davies re-recorded Kinks songs w/ special friends, playing NJ & other dates "

Bon Jovi fans (more by Ryan Muir)

At Bon Jovi's three sold-out shows this week at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the top package -- which includes the takeaway chair, a leather bag and a catered meal -- is $1,875.

Once available only for top-dollar tours by the likes of U2 or the Rolling Stones, V.I.P. packages have trickled down to the rank-and-file of live music, as artists try to maximize grosses and reap some of the markup value that the best seats get on resale sites like StubHub.com. And despite the soft economy, promoters have found that hard-core fans are willing to pay premium prices to get red-carpet treatment for their favorite shows. [A Front-Row Seat, to Go? Rock Fans Pay for Perks @ the NY Times]

Ben Sisario who wrote that article was also on WNYC's Sound Check today to talk more about the topic

U2 @ Giants Stadium (more by Tim Griffin)

U2's multi-leg, multi-year 360° tour continues into 2010 with a new set of dates and a new set of stadiums. After playing some of the last shows in Giants Stadium in 2009 (Bruce Springsteen played the very last), U2 will return to Jersey next summer to play one of the first shows at the new Meadowlands stadium on July 19th. Bon Jovi will play the very first concerts at the new stadium in May.

Pre-sales through U2.com begin on Tuesday at 10am (11/3).

"With a cylindrical video system of interlocking LED panels, and a steel structure rising 150 feet from the floor over a massive stage with rotating bridges, the band has truly created an intimate 360º experience for concert goers. In keeping with the concept that this tour is more about a unique staging configuration with excellent sight-lines, tickets for the U2 360° 2010 tour will once again be scaled so that 85 percent of the tickets are priced at less than $95.00, general admission floor tickets at $55.00 and at least 10,000 tickets per venue priced at $30.00."

General sale for tickets TBA. More dates and cities TBA too. All dates below....

Continue reading "U2 announce 2010 tour dates (New Meadowlands Stadium)"

Passing Strange

Spike Lee got this Broadway hit on film. Now you can see this coming-of-age Bohemian rhapsody on the big screen.

A reminder (and this is from the tickets page): Never Say "Sold Out" - Even if advance tickets are no longer available, don't give up--just think RUSH TICKETS. We admit those standing in the RUSH TICKETS line approximately 15 minutes prior to a film or panel's scheduled start time, until a theater is at capacity. Lines begin forming approximately 60 minutes before each screening, so be sure to arrive early.

This reminder applies to quick-selling flicks like Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful, Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB, and Soundtrack for a Revolution. Don't forget: there is also the chance of additional screenings being added.
[A Song For You: The '09 Festival's Musical Films]

Conan O'Brien's last show in his old time slot was Friday night. A drumless White Stripes were the musical guest.

Conan won't be gone for long though. He takes over Jay Leno's slot, one hour earlier, on June 1st. Jay Leno airs his final show in his current time slot on May 29th, and then eventually moves to 10 pm on the same station.

Jimmy Fallon takes over Conan's NBC time slot on March 2nd. His house band The Roots take over NYC around the same time. Fallon's guest have started to be announced...

If Jimmy Fallon is nervous about the premiere of his new gig as "Late Night" host, he'll have Robert De Niro and Van Morrison to lean on. They'll be the guests for his March 2 debut hosting the NBC show...

NBC says Tina Fey, Jon Bon Jovi, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Donald Trump and Serena Williams are among other guests scheduled for Fallon's first week. [Vindy.com]

U2 will be the first band to play five nights in a row on Letterman that same week. "Coinciding with the worldwide release of [their new album] No Line on the Horizon, it's the first time a musical guest has performed an entire week on the CBS late night broadcast." That new album is now streaming in its entirety at MySpace.

Van Morrison's Fallon appearance comes soon after his two shows at the Theater at MSG, and right before the two at the Beacon.

The video from Joaquin Phoenix's recent, infamous appearance on Letterman, below...

Continue reading "U2's streaming album & Letterman residency, Jimmy Fallon got Van Morrison & other late night news"

AC/DC @ The Izod Center (more by Ryan Muir)

If anyone had any doubt that touring is where the money is in the music business, a quick look at the top Moneymakers for 2008 should hammer the point home.

Regardless of genre, retail sales or radio play, each of the 20 acts on Billboard's Moneymakers list toured in 2008. (Taylor Swift mostly opened for Brad Paisley but doesn't get credit for that revenue). For almost all of them, touring generated the most revenue. And in a year when recorded-music sales declined yet again, many earned more at the box office than ever before. [Billboard]

I hope Kanye West can handle being below The Jonas Brothers (and Lil Wayne). The whole list below...

Continue reading "the list of musicians who made the most money in 2008"

DOWNLOAD: Etta James talks smack about Beyonce (MP3)

Etta James @ BB King's in 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

This is not a joke: 71-year-old Etta James actually threatened to beat the crap out of Beyoncé Knowles -- and it's caught all on tape!

The war is all over Etta's song, "At Last " -- Beyoncé sang the tune at Obama's 1st Inauguration Ball on Jan. 20th ... but last week at a concert in Seattle, James was still pissed.

While on stage, Etta told the crowd, "Your President, the one with the big ears ... he had that woman singing my song. She gone get her ass whipped."

She continued, "The great Beyoncé ... I can't stand Beyoncé," according to audio from Crown City Media.

Ironically Etta didn't kick up this sorta fuss when Beyoncé portrayed her in "Cadillac Records." [TMZ]

TMZ later pointed out that the song is not even an Etta James song. She covers it too. The Chicago Sun Times says that "both Beyonce and President and Mrs. Obama were stunned by music legend Etta James' strong verbal whiplashing." Etta James told the Daily News she was just trying to get a laugh and meant no harm. Etta is definitely known for her between song banter at her live shows. Speaking of which...

Etta James returns to B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in NYC for three shows in May. Tickets are on sale.

Etta is also one of many artists who will be Jazz Fest in New Orleans this year...

American rock superstars Bon Jovi have been added to the already star-studded music lineup of the 40th anniversary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell, organizers announced today. Making their first-ever Jazz Fest appearance, Bon Jovi will perform on Saturday, May 2. The 2009 Jazz Fest is scheduled for April 24-26 & April 30-May 3 at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

Bon Jovi joins Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Sugarland, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kings of Leon, Neville Brothers, Wilco, Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, The O'Jays, Erykah Badu, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Dr. John, Etta James plus hundreds of others previously announced to appear at the historic edition of the Festival.

Etta James also has a show scheduled in Atlantic City. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "ETTA JAMES disses Beyonce & Obamas (MP3), offends & apologizes ++ 2009 TOUR DATES (BB Kings, Jazz Fest)"

today in NYC & NJ
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB Theatre
* The Musical Box @ Nokia Theater
* The Bad Plus @ Village Vanguard
* Vivian Girls & Screaming Females @ Court Tavern in NJ
* Uninhabitable Mansions, Joe & the Flying Spoons, Purse Snatchers @ Cake Shop

Sound Fix is also hosting a mixtape exchange.

Bon Jovi is playing a benefit @ Town Hall to help Hillary Clinton get out of debt (not today).

Some people in the comments seem to think My Morning Jacket is like Bon Jovi.

Robert Christgau's writing can now be found on Barnes & Noble's website.

Sasha Frere-Jones gives Chris Dane Owens video of the year.

Heartonastick went to see Letters to Cleo at Bowery Ballroom.

Rainbow Room to close restaurant, citing economy.

Fire in Thailand Nightclub Kills at Least 59.

Jett Travolta, RIP

Skeletons played Death By Audio on January 2nd. Video from the show below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

Bruce Springsteen @ Giants Stadium, July 2008 (more by Eric M. Townsend)

1. Madonna ($105 million)
2. Celine Dion ($94 million)
3. The Eagles ($73.4 million)
4. Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million)
5. Bon Jovi ($70.4 million)
6. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ($69.3 million)
7. Neil Diamond ($59.8 million)
8. Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million)
9. The Police ($48 million)
10. Tina Turner ($47.7 million)

"According to numbers released by concert trade magazine Pollstar, the Material Girl was the year's top concert draw in North America with ticket sales in excess of $105 million. After launching last summer in Wales, her Sticky & Sweet tour hit North America in early October for nearly eight weeks of concert dates. Worldwide the tour actually grossed more than $280 million, making Sticky & Sweet the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist." [EOnline]

photos by Ryan Muir

A sea of 60,000 fans eagerly greeted, cheered and sang along with superstar band Bon Jovi as the group hosted a free concert in New York's Central Park Saturday night that could be seen -- and heard -- several blocks away.

With the lights of the city's skyscrapers looming beyond the park, the New Jersey band rocked in the first free performance on the Great Lawn since the Dave Matthews Band graced the concert site five years ago. Bon Jovi gave ABC News exclusive backstage access before the show, to talk about what it meant to them to perform on the site that Simon and Garfunkel made famous with their 1981 performance there. [ABC News]

I doubt many people reading this could care less about Bon Jovi (except maybe from a nostalgic childhood point of view), but this was a huge event, so we figured we might as well take some pictures. More of what Ryan saw, below...

Continue reading "Bon Jovi played Central Park, we took some pictures"

"MAYOR BLOOMBERG & MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ANNOUNCE THE CONCERT EVENT OF THE YEAR"

Continue reading "Bon Jovi playing free (ticketed) show in Central Park"

When the new Prudential Center arena opens in downtown Newark next month, the city - which spent $210 million in taxpayer dollars on the project - will not be getting one of the arena's 76 luxury suites.

Some city council members are irate, saying the city deserves one of the boxes that are being sold for $225,000 apiece. Newark could use it to host guests, children or other dignitaries, the council members say. The issue, they say, symbolizes the bum deal the city has cut with the New Jersey Devils over the arena.

Some council members say they'll boycott opening night - Oct. 25 when Bon Jovi performs.

"To me, the height of disrespect is the city of Newark has put into the project $210 million - which is the baseline - and the Devils have not given us a box," Council President Mildred Crump said. "They're dissing us at a level that's disrespectful." [NJ.COM]

Dissing you? nice.

The Prudential Center (nicknamed "The Rock") is an 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena being built in Newark, New Jersey for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League.....The arena will open on October 25, 2007 with a series of concerts by New Jersey rock group Bon Jovi, featuring a star-studded lineup of opening acts, including Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Daughtry, The All-American Rejects and New Jersey's own My Chemical Romance. The first two concerts will be followed by the first Devils home game on October 27 against the Ottawa Senators, who were the Devils' last opponent at Continental Airlines Arena. [Wikipedia]